New job opportunity

Trees and Meadows Adviser

We are seeking an experienced full-time adviser to play an important role in delivering two projects in the Norfolk and Cam and Ely Ouse (CamEO) river catchments. The role will focus on the new ‘Woodlands for Water’ project, supported by Defra, to create a minimum of 50ha of new riparian tree planting. The second element of the role will focus on delivering outputs through the ‘WWF/Botanica by Air Wick Pollinator project’, working with partners and land owners to create, restore and manage flora-rich meadows.

The role will support farmers and landowners in the creation of new woodlands, ensuring that planting takes place in appropriate locations, and will also advise and assist with funding applications, including the England Woodland Creation Offer and Carbon Trading – the latter of which provides greater financial incentives for planting and managing trees alongside rivers and watercourses, as well as the wider river catchment.

Working with partners, the strategic tree planting will protect and enhance the quality of some of Norfolk’s rare chalk streams to increase climate resilience and support the recovery of biodiversity by: improving the connectivity of habitat along our river valleys; reducing the effects of diffuse pollution; and providing Natural Flood Management (NFM) and the storage of carbon.

The ‘Woodlands for Water’ project will form a key element of the new ‘Riverscapes’ partnership, which includes the Rivers Trust, Woodland Trust, Beaver Trust and National Trust. Riverscapes is a shared vision to create a thriving nature recovery network along UK rivers by 2030, delivering native tree establishment and habitat mosaics within catchments for multiple benefits.

The pollinator and meadows project is a three-year project delivering advice and funding opportunities through the Botanica by Air Wick and WWF partnership to restore 20 million square feet (60 ha) of wildflower habitats across the UK.

In East Anglia, work will take place in the Broadland, CamEO and Norfolk catchments, and will be looking to create new sites for wildflowers from other land uses, as well as to enhance the conservation and management of existing meadows and wildflower habitats.

The role will involve working closely with local partners and private and public landowners to support the delivery of on-ground work, with the main focus being on farmland, wildlife conservation sites, floodplain meadows and publicly accessible land. This is to ensure that the best sites are selected to provide as much benefit to nature and local communities as possible.

Norfolk Rivers Trust (NRT) are engaged in a variety of strategic projects and partnerships across the Norfolk and Cam and Ely Ouse (CamEO) river catchments. Furthermore, NRT has developed an extensive and well-established network of landowner and farming contacts through their ‘Water Sensitive Farming’ (WSF) initiative, which provides farm support and advice to deliver soil, water, biodiversity and carbon improvements through projects such as Courtauld 2030 and WWF catchment projects. The adviser will work closely with the WSF and restoration and ecology teams within NRT to integrate advice and opportunities.

The role will be responsible for:

• Delivering one-to-one advice and planning of ‘English Woodland Creation’ schemes
• Assisting with the completion and submission of ‘Woodland Creation’ applications
• Providing advice for carbon trading, riparian management and other land management schemes
• Working closely with partners and landowners to deliver a mix of meadow creation and restoration projects including arable reversion and floodplain creation
• Engaging and contributing to catchment meetings and liaising with partners
• Supporting the production of communications material to further promote and develop the ‘Woodlands for Water’ and pollinator projects
• Organising events and other landowner engagement tools aimed at improving awareness and sharing knowledge of the project
• Maintaining a database of where farm visits have been carried out, the opportunities identified, and where these have been delivered
• Any other duties as reasonably required by NRT

The role requires someone who is self-motivated, enthusiastic and highly organised, with a strong desire for improving the living world. The post holder will possess outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with experience of engaging and working with farmers and landowners to forge trusted relationships.

What are we looking for?

The ideal candidate will:

• Full and valid UK driving licence, own car and insured for business use (travel expenses will be reimbursed at 0.45p per mile when not travelling to the NRT head office)
• HND/Degree or equivalent related experience in woodland, forestry, land or farm management
• Sound knowledge of woodland and land management practices, as well as Agri-environment schemes and soil and water conservation
• Strong knowledge and background in the management requirements of species-rich grassland and floodplain management
• Familiarity and experience of catchment-scale processes, and how these can interact with chalk streams
• Knowledge of statutory requirements and consents for implementing schemes and nature-based solutions
• Ability to work on a range of tasks as identified in the Job Description at the same time
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to communicate with a wide range of audiences
• Outstanding interpersonal skills including face-to-face and over the phone
• Experience of engaging with key stakeholders and working collaboratively with partner organisations
• Reliable with excellent organisational skills and attention to detail

Desirable

• Experience of producing woodland and meadow management plans
• Knowledge of a mix of habitats and the ecology associated with them
• Training and experience in the use of GIS mapping (preferably ArcGIS)
• Based near or in the Norfolk Catchments

Applications

The deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 17th November 2021. Interviews will be held on Thursday 25th November 2021 .

Please apply with your CV and a covering letter by emailing [email protected]

Further information

The successful candidate will report to the Operations Director, and will be required to travel across the Norfolk and CamEO catchments on a regular basis for visits, events and meetings. Day-to-day working can take place remotely or from the NRT office.

Job term: Permanent, full-time, 40 hours per week.

Salary details: £27,000-£28,000 (depending on experience)